Three confirmed tornadoes moved through Central Arkansas on Saturday, March 10, according to meteorologists with the National Weather Service in Little Rock.
That includes an EF-1 twister that injured two and destroyed mobile homes near Scott, a tornado caught on-camera near Slovak, and a vortex with peak winds of 110 mph that damaged structures south of Carlisle.
Todd Carpenter captured video of the EF-1 tornado that tore through Lonoke County and traveled almost 11 miles into Prairie County.
“We might ought to pull up a little bit,” Carpenter said on video as the twister moved through a field on Highway 381 shortly before 11 a.m. Saturday. He then watched as it crossed the highway onto his parents’ property.
“I saw it when it came across and hit the tin and tin went flying through the air,” he said.
Neighbors, family and friends spent the weekend helping Doyne Carpernter clean the tin and other debris that covered his property after the storm destroyed two sheds and a steel-enforced workshop.
Carpenter, a lifelong resident of the area, described the workshop as a second home. It housed tractors, antiques, and other items that kept the retiree busy.
Though family photos and other items are still missing, Carpenter can’t help but stay positive. Minutes before the tornado came through, he went out on an errand.
“In fact if I had stayed here where I sit in my chair and watch television -- I go over there every morning -- I'd have probably gotten killed,” Carpenter said.
Carpenter plans to rebuild the workshop.
“I'm proud we come out like we are -- in one piece,” he said.